[Nfb-krafters-korner] More about Terry's Crackers

[blindhands at aol.com]

I was in search for more Christmas crafts for possible classes and came
across this tonight.

Joyce

Victorian  Christmas Crackers
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Christmas Crackers                             

If there is  one thing inseparable from a traditional Victorian Christmas,
it is — the Christmas cracker. The original crackers were love tokens;
neither more  nor less. They were simply bits of twisted and fringed colored
tissue paper, with  a sweet and a little verse inside; and they were called
"Kisses." The  French were the first to have these, and called them
"bon-bons," but  the fashion soon spread to England. At this time, 
Christmas crackers were about  six inches long and comparatively plain. As a
matter of fact they could hardly  have been designated "crackers," for they
did not "crack."  

Victorian Christmas Crackers   

After  a time people thought they could improve upon these "kisses," so they
took fancier colored paper and put the sweet in the middle of a piece of
paper—which  was rather longer than it was broad—and gave it a twist near
each end. The next  improvement was to add the firework part, or "snap" as
it is was  called. It was also found that the twisting of the paper could be
much more  quickly and tightly done with a string than with the fingers. At
this time—that  is, after the firework part was
added — the French called them  "cosaques," possibly because the noise of
the explosion reminded them  of the sudden sharp gun shots of the Cossack
soldiers.   

Tom Smith Christmas Crackers   

In the early  days each confectioner bought his own materials and made his
own crackers. Tom  Smith & Co., of Wilson Street, Finsbury, was the first
company to  start manufacturing crackers in England and the major mass
producer of the  Christmas cracker in late Victorian England. In 1891, they
manufactured  nearly eleven million in a single season. The Victorian
Christmas cracker in  its finer form of crimson and gold and cream and
silver is an English holiday  tradition that has presented many
moments of merriment for generations.   

 Christmas Cracker Hats   

For  young children, the cracker prompted a delightful look of expectation
as they  waited for it to go "bang" and an eager cry as they scrambled after
the surprise which came in response to the explosion. After they reveled in
a  complete outfit in the way of paper garments, hats and caps, jewels,
toys,  puzzles, and what not.  

During the  nineteenth century, there were others who loved the cracker. The
Christmas  cracker offered a quaint ritual for courting 
 "she was
delightfully eighteen  and he with just enough moustache to twirl." The
prospective twosome would each seize  an end of that colorfully
decorated cracker— "bang" it went. But  the young Victorian girl and young
man did not rush to pick up the gaily  decorated paper caps; instead their
target was the tiny slip of paper inside,  and they were eager to read
it. That little scrap of paper could say:  

The sweet  crimson rose
 with its beautiful hue
 Is not half so deep as my
 passion for you.
 Twill wither and fade,
 and no more will seen
 But whilst my heart lives
 you will still be its queen!"  

The next  moment they would be in the quietest corner of the room. It was
Cupid himself  who hopped out of that cracker.   

 Christmas Cracker    
Christmas Cracker Masks   

Victorian  Christmas crackers were filled with all sorts of trinkets and
surprises – first  they contained rhymed mottoes or verses, then some sort
of fancy-paper hat, bonnet,  mob-cap or masks. Considerable artistic talent
was introduced in the adornment  of these novelties. For instance, the
"Silhouette" crackers were  illustrated with black figures, comprising
portraits of well-known characters  in the political, military and social
world.  In addition, designs were adapted to other assortments,
 such as "Cameos," "Bric-a-brac," ''Musical Toys," each  filled with
appropriately themed trinkets. 

In addition,  each year brought its own special set of novelties. In 1896,
for instance,  South African crackers containing miniature Gatling guns,
tiny natives, and  portraits of Dr. Jim, Cecil Rhodes, and other South
African celebrities, were  all the rage. The next year, their place was
usurped by “Nansen" crackers,  with polar bear masks, tiny thermometers,
portraits of the explorer, and  miniature balloons. 

 Christmas Cracker  

Tiny pill  boxes with rouge and powder, faded flowers, a night cap, a
wedding ring and a  bottle of hair dye were in “Crackers for Spinsters.” One
novel box featured a  doll placed in the box, with a group of crackers each
with some article of  clothing inside, so that when every cracker was
“pulled” the doll would be  provided with a complete outfit. Many Christmas
crackers, especially the more  costly ones, were intended for table
decoration rather than for amusement and  were ornately decorated.
No motto was ever used twice in the same box  of crackers. 

 Christmas Cracker 

 One of the  largest crackers manufactured at the Smith factory was eight
feet  long and nearly eighteen inches in diameter. It was made to the order
and used  to be pulled nightly at Drury Lane pantomime by the prince of
clowns, Harry  Payne. Several hundreds of smaller crackers came out of it,
and were  distributed among the audience.  
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